


Rescued

by yeaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Vignette, World of Ruin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-04 00:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21188384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: The world of ruin wears Ignis down.





	Rescued

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

He lands wrong and _screams_. It’s common sense to keep his voice down—the daemons find him just as much by sound as sight, but the pain that lances through Ignis’ body robs him of all control. He dodged the last swipe well enough to save his skin, and he doesn’t think it’s torn—not there, anyway; he can’t feel any blood—but the bones might’ve broken beneath that. When he tries to move it, he can’t. He scrunches his face up against the burning agony and fists his fingers into the earth, then unsteadily starts feeling around for the dagger that he dropped. He can’t afford to do this. He can hear the iron giant lumbering towards him. It’s a simple enemy, one he should’ve taken out in no time, but that last pack of coeurls left him too depleted. Ignis’ heart is racing wildly, his lungs panting for air. This isn’t how he wants to die. 

He hears the breeze stir around the daemon’s axe as it lifts it up—he knows he’s reached his end. He bows his head and tries to make his final thoughts more dignified, instead of the paralyzing sense of failure: he let down his king and friends. The iron giant rumbles out a low shriek, and dust stirs up around Ignis’ knees. 

He fills the telltale billowing of _darkness_—the daemon’s dissipated. Someone else cut it down. He tenses up and strains past the blood pounding in his ears, trying to listen for human footsteps. Then he catches a familiar scent on the cool breeze. He thinks he knows who’s saved him.

Someone kneels down in front of him, and the scent becomes unmistakable. A warm palm presses against his cheek. Ignis sucks in a shaken breath and lets himself lean into that. He’s so _tired_. Gladiolus murmurs, “Are you alright?”

The instinct is to lie: to insist _yes_, like his injuries never happened and don’t burden him every day. But there’s no point lying to Gladiolus. He bitterly answers, “Obviously not.”

Gladiolus doesn’t push it. There’s no judgment in his voice. “How bad is it?”

Ignis swallows. “I don’t think I can walk.” He can push through the rest. The scratches on his back, the gashes across his arm, the blood caked on his forehead—that’s all par for the course in their new world. But running is necessary for survival. Gladiolus sighs. 

“None of us are invincible, Iggy.”

He knows that. It still hurts. Gladiolus can’t possibly understand how _useless_ Ignis feels, to have gone through all of this and _still_ not know if Noctis will ever return. He can feel himself slumping forward into Gladiolus’ arms. He wants to stay strong but doesn’t have the energy left. Gladiolus welcomes him in, one large hand smoothing over the small of his back, rubbing in a gentle circle. It’s incredibly soothing. Gladiolus mumbles, “I have a camp set up nearby. I’ll take you there.”

Ignis nods. On another sharp inhale, he adds, “I’m out of potions.”

“I have some there. I’ll fix it.”

“I don’t want to impose...”

“Ignis. You’re _never_ an imposition. You’d do the same for any of us. And frankly, having you around again helps me as much as you.”

Ignis doesn’t think that could possibly be true. But he nods, because there’s nothing left but to accept it. When he concentrates, he can still remember fragments of Gladiolus’ smile. That might be happening now. All of their faces are starting to fade, but Ignis remembers their essence, and he can still hear and feel the warmth that Gladiolus offers. He’s eternally grateful for Gladiolus tenderly gathering him up. 

Gladiolus carries him off like it’ll be okay.


End file.
